{{Short description|Message shown to computer users on login}} [[File:OpenBSD 5.3 Welcome.png|thumb|Default ''motd'' showing on [[OpenBSD]] 5.3]]
Many computer systems display a '''message of the day''' or '''welcome message''' when a user first connects to them, logs in to them, or starts them. It is a way of sending a common message to all users, and may include information about system changes, system availability, and so on. More recently, systems have displayed personalized messages of the day.
On many time-sharing systems, the contents of the message of the day are fetched from a system file:
* [[Compatible Time-Sharing System]];<ref>{{cite tech report |title=A New Version of FAP |number=80 |institution=CTSS Bulletin |date=April 23, 1965 |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/ctss/Bulletin_80_Apr65.pdf }}</ref> * [[Multics]]: the '''motd''' info segment;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Multics Glossary -M- |url=http://multicians.org/mgm.html}}</ref><ref name=":0">A.K. Bhushan, "Scenarios for using ARPANET computers", Request for Comments 254, Network Working Group, IETF https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc254.txt</ref> * [[TOPS-10]]<ref name=":0" /> * [[Incompatible Timesharing System|Incompatible Timesharing System (ITS)]]<ref name=":0" /> * [[Unix-like]] systems: the '''/etc/motd''' file * Univac [[VS/9]]<ref>"The Univac 60/90 Mainframe Computer" https://studylib.net/doc/8373525/the-univac-90---60-mainframe-computer, p. 5</ref> * [[CP/CMS]]<ref>"CP-67 Operator's Guide", Program Number 360D-05.2.005, Control Program-67/Cambridge Monitor System, October 1970, p. 4 http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/360/cp67/GH20-0856-0_CP-67_Operators_Guide_Oct1970.pdf</ref>
== Usage == The contents of the special file are displayed after the user logs in successfully, typically before the login [[Shell (computing)|shell]] is started.<ref>The complete FreeBSD: documentation from the source, By Greg Lehey, p.572</ref>
Newer [[Unix-like]] systems may generate the message dynamically when the host boots or a user logs in.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gpbk66Y_s5sC&q=ubuntu+motd&pg=PA269 |title = Ubuntu 11.04 Server Guide|isbn = 9781596822603|last1 = Project|first1 = Ubuntu Documentation|date = May 2011 | publisher=Fultus Corporation }}</ref>
Various server-based [[Personal Computer|PC]] games display messages of the day, including ''[[Half-Life (series)|Half-Life]]'', ''[[Call of Duty]]'', ''[[Minecraft]]'', and ''[[Battlefield (video game series)|Battlefield]]''. They may be personalized, encouraging users to try new features or make in-game purchases.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-20 |title=How to build a dynamic message of the day with AWS Lambda {{!}} AWS for Games Blog |url=https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/gametech/how-to-build-a-dynamic-message-of-the-day-with-aws-lambda/ |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=aws.amazon.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
Some [[IRC]] servers also display a message of the day on login.<ref>{{Cite web | last1=Kalt | first1=Christophe | url=https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2812#page-25 |title = Internet Relay Chat: Client Protocol | date=April 2000 }}</ref>
== See also == * [[System console]] * [[fortune (Unix)]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
[[Category:Unix]]
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